


No compass on my hand

by Rospergs



Series: Whatever is left (It's more you than me) [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:31:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3611850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rospergs/pseuds/Rospergs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First of all, his Tower needed some remodeling. And Bruce to be convinced to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No compass on my hand

It takes him a while to regain control over himself, to be able to shallow the panic and think properly, but he has a good excuse to disappear for almost a whole day. He really has to make sure Pepper and Happy are alright, that his tower isn't ready to collapse in any moment after the attack. And there is the need to sleep too. So, yes, he lets JARVIS with instructions to communicate with Banner and tell him there is a room in the tower with his name on it, but he rejects to see anyone of the team for these first 12 hours.

Tony forces himself to walk away from the bar, he ignores that particular thirst. He needs his mind calm and collected, or as calm and collected after finding one of his soulmates as it can be. A part of him is thrilled, so excited that at least one of them actually exists – because he never actively sought them, yes, but with five marks one would think he should already have found at least one of them at his age. And not only do Banner exists, he is... doctor Bruce Banner. A genius. Somebody who talks the same language than he does, who can follow his mental leaps. Tony isn't sure there could be anyone better for him.

Which makes the bigger part of his mind really, really need that drink. Because he can't have him, he can't have Banner. He isn't sixteen anymore to actually plot how to cover the others marks and make it seem as if he only has Banner's. There's to little of him to give, he is too spread out. Banner, as it turns out, is one of those poor bastards condemned to suffer him, but that doesn't mean he has to actually be a dick. He can take care of Banner, make sure he is safe and sound and have a place which he can call home.

Even if he does it while not letting him know about a certain similarity in their marks.

Once he has that settled, he calls Pepper. She cries on the telephone, shouting at him about unacceptable risks and keeping information of her, and Tony Stark, was that the reason you sent me without warning to Europe with Happy? Really?! Tony can't help but laugh, tired and already half way to sleep in his bed.

“I would tell you to actually take a week for yourself and your husband in Venice, or something, but I have a half demolished tower that needs a full job and you, as my CEO, have to keep the shareholders out of my back.”

“You are damn right I'm coming back, even if it's only to hit your head until some sense goes into it!” she growls in answer, and Pepper hangs up.

Tony sighs, turning over until he has his back towards the now opaque windows. He isn't actually in the penthouse – it has suffered too much damage to feel comfortable on it – but his guests floors aren't that bad. He closes his eyes, feeling them burn and tear even closed. He is so tired. Everything hurts. The isolation within the suit is good, but there's just no way a battering like that doesn't finish with him black and blue. There's a dull pain in his neck, and Tony could bet it is result of a free fall and a sudden stop provided by Hulk.

He isn't sure when he falls sleep, but he sleeps well into the next day. He wakes up in the heels of an already half forgotten dream with the feeling of falling, air in his face and pain in his back. He wonders, sluggish, what he has pulled while sleeping to even dream with pain.

“JARVIS, how is our guest doing?” He gets rid of his pajamas and goes to the shower, wrinkling his nose when he sees the brand of shampoo and missing already his own bathroom with his favorite brands.

“Doctor Banner is currently sleeping, but his breath pattern indicates that he is close to waking up, sir. He has stayed in the 64th floor.”

Tony hums, letting the water fall over him a touch too hot. It helps to clear his head. He traces the marks, visible after he peeled off the fake skin last night. Nothing feels different. For some reason Tony expected them to feel more taunt, to tickle – but they are the same as always. Like one of them didn't just flip his word upside down.

“Did you have any problem persuading him to come here?” he asks, stepping out the shower and drying himself. He doesn't ask about the others. His priority isn't them.

“I didn't have to insist much, sir. He sounded quite exhausted” JARVIS answers. Well, yes, he does have a point. Maybe it was a little dirty to pressure him when he could barely stand, but then again, Tony isn't above playing dirty. Specially when, in the end, it will be of benefit to Banner. Or so he wants to think.

“When he wakes up, guide him to the penthouse kitchen.”

Once Tony finishes dressing in something comfortable and applying a new layer of fake skin, he himself goes to the penthouse and starts making breakfast, starting with coffee and waffles. He may not be able to cook more than breakfast foods, but damnit if he isn't good at them. Banner appears just after he plates the food. He is dressed with some of Tony's clothes, and Tony wants to kick himself for not thinking about clothes.

It doesn't matter, he tells himself. He will make it better next time. “Just who I wanted to see!” he greets him, putting the plates over the table. It's a huge meal, with meat and coffee and juice and waffles. He expects it will be enough. “Coffee?” he offers.

Banner plays with the hem of his sweater, smiling awkwardly. “Oh, no, thanks. It's... not good for my heart rate.”

Tony hums, sitting at the table and inviting Bruce to do it too. “I thought we had cleared up that you need to relax.”

Bruce seems to be vaguely amused by that. “Do you really want an appearance of Hulk in your kitchen?”

“Hey, he saved my life yesterday. Twice, if Thor wasn't kidding when he said that his, and I quote, 'mighty roar toke you away from the arms of the valkyries'. I wouldn't be against it. He could decorate it. It would match the living room. But the point is that I don't think he is going to make a visit just for a cup of coffee.”

Banner finally smiles, somewhat grudgingly, and joins him at the table, going for the juice. Tony has to contain the smile that wants to appear in his face.

“Some reason in special you sent your AI to make sure I would come here to eat?” the doctor asks without raising his eyes from his plate. It's an offhand comment, but Tony feels a tickling in his nape.

“Well, the main reason was that the tower wasn't yet officially open, so even with the guests floors finished, there's no food in them. I, on the other hand, have been living in the penthouse for some weeks now. So,” he makes a gesture over the table “food. But I'm an evil genius who wants to pick your brain apart and make sure you don't go anywhere until I can show you the workshop and dazzle you with the science that happens in this building. So there's that. And by the way, how should I call you? I myself am partial to sugar plump”.

That wins him a cough from Banner, who goes red in the face and plays with the cutlery.

“Actually, I think that Doctor Ban –”

“Absolutely no. That would let you the door open to call me Mister Stark. What about sweetie pie?”

“I would never use a name you don't –”

“Honey bunch?”

“I would really prefer –“

“Bawcock?”

“Is that Shakespeare?” Banner asks, finally grinning and raising his eyes and looking at him under his brows. It's a kind of an adorable gesture, Tony thinks. Shy and bashful, and it makes him want to protect Bruce from the world so he doesn't have to keep running. Huh. Maybe the marks do make something change once you find your soulmate.

“Do we like the classics? What about lambkin then?”

“Bruce. Call me Bruce, please.”

“Brucie bear!” Tony exclaims, satisfied, and that's it. Bruce bursts in laughs, raising a hand to his forehead in surrender.

“There's no way to win against you, is there?” he asks, looking at him with mirth in his eyes. Tony smiles, pleased. “A whole alien army could tell you that no, not really.”

He is ready to let the conversation vanish for now, but that's the moment JARVIS talks.

“Sir, you have a message from director Fury.”

“Oh, please, tell me he is not calling. I don't care what it is, I don't want to see his ugly face. It's too early, I have had too little coffee and I will ask about the eye. I just know I will.” Bruce shakes his head at the other side of the table, but he doesn't say anything.

“No, sir. He seemed to know he wouldn't be welcome at this moment. But he left the message to told you and doctor Banner –“

“I am not Brucie Bear for him?” Bruce can't help to ask.

“Shh, don't interrupt the AI. He controls your shower” Tony scowls him.

“-- that you are expected in the Helicarrier in three hours for debrief about the battle” JARVIS finishes, immutable.

Aaaand there goes the light mood! He can see it in Bruce's face, the way his lips press together and he averts his eyes.

“I guess there's no way to say 'no' to him either, is there?” he says, and he sounds already defeated. It makes Tony's skin crawl, and he would gladly punch Fury in the face for making Banner feel like there's nowhere in the world where he can run now and hide and have peace.

“There's always a way” he says instead, “but it wouldn't be the correct decision. Now is the moment to stand in his face and tell him that everything from this point forwards is in our own terms.”

At that, Bruce looks at him with curiosity and disbelief, all in one. “And how is that going to work?”

“How much do you remember from the fight?” That elicits a grimace from him, and Tony is really sorry for a moment. But he has to bring his point home. “The Council fucked up big time, and they are going to be very adamant that no one ever knows. They want the Hulk, so what? If they don't want me going telling stories, they are going to learn to keep their hands to themselves. And, believe me, when I tell a story everybody buys it.”

Bruce stares at him, his brow slightly furrowed and, for a moment, Tony is sure he is going to question his motives. But at the end he just nods and starts eating.

Three hours and a half later (because he is Tony Stark after all, fuck you very much) they are on the Helicarrier, with Bruce dressed with one of his shirts and a pair of slacks and Tony in a full suit. It hadn't been easy, to dress him like that, and Tony had had to insist that they have to look like they are certain and in control, not like they would prefer to disappear inside a huge sweater. That is never an image you want to give to the world.

_“Why do have that sweater then?”_

_“I plead the Fifth.”_

Just before entering the brief room, Tony stops and grabs Bruce, stepping closer to him so no one can overhear their conversation.

“Just for the record, you are going to stay in the tower in the foreseeable future, yes?” he whispers and, in Bruce's favor, he just raises his brows before asking.

“And why would that be?”

“Because the Council is going to play nice with us for their own good, but I don't trust they don't let others 'accidentally' know about your whereabouts as a revenge to being out of their control.”

“So instead of letting them know, we are going to broadcast where I am? And that without considering it would put me in an overcrowded city.” Now there's a line of displeasure on his lips, as if he is tired of having this conversation. Tony wonders how many times he has have it with himself over the years.

“One, you don't buy that 'I'm out of control' act, I don't buy it, I don't think even Fury buys it that much anymore. You Hulk out or feel like doing it? I can build something a million times better than that cage they had here, so you know you will not go destroying things. But I will do that for your peace of mind, not mine, mind you. I feel pretty safe with Big Green. And second” he adds, “Yes, we will broadcast it, because those monkeys with army uniforms may not respect you right now, but I know how to put them through their paces, and they will learn or they will not be Army anymore. Alright?”

Bruce tilted his head, considering him. “I do have the impression no one should cross you.”

“Now, that sounds like I'm a dictator!”

“No a dictator, but overprotective. And you get attached very fast.”

Tony almost takes a step back, but he manages to conceal it. There's a shine of wondering in Bruce's eyes, and for a second Tony thinks he has been too evident trying to make him stay after seeing his mark. No, that's not possible, he had commented about Bruce staying in the tower before the fight already, on this same Helicarrier.

“It's your brain” he mock-whispers. “It makes you irresistible.”

There's a second of stillness before Bruce smiles, shakes his head and enters the debriefing room.

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language D: Sorry for any mistakes!


End file.
